Maine Wills

 From York County Probate Records, Volume Seven (1721-49)

   In the Name of God Amen. I Thomas Card of York in the County of York in the Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England Husbandman being very Sick and weak but of a Sound Mind and Memory, Thanks be given to God, and calling to Mind the Mortality of my Body and knowing that it's appointed for all men once to die : To prevent Trouble and Dispute among Such of my Children as may Survive me concerning Such worldly Estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me in this Life I make and ordain this my last Will and Testament And first of all I recommend my Soul into the Hands of God that gave it & my Body I recommend to the Earth to be buried in decent Christian Burial by my Executor hereafter named and as touching my worldly Estate afores^d I give demise & dispose of the Same in the Manner following

   Imp^r I give and bequeath to Martha My well beloved Wife the whole of my Household Goods and one full Third part of my Cattle of all Sorts and all other my personal Estate to her own use and Disposal.

   Item. My Will is that my just Debts funeral Charges and Legacys Shall be paid by my two Sons Iohn Card and Winchester Card out of that part of my Estate which I hereafter in these presents give and dispose to them in the Proportion hereafter to be mentioned.

   Item. I give and bequeath to my beloved Son Iohn Card all that part of my Homestead lying on the Northwest Side of a Line to begin at a certain flat Rock at the Head of a certain Creek between my dwelling House and my Son Winchester's House commonly called & known by the Name of Cock's Creek and to run about North East a little Easterly to a White Oak Tree Standing by the Falls at the Head of the Mill pond Together with my Dwelling House Barn and other Buildings thereon.

   Item. I giue and dispose of the remaining part of my Homestead lying on the South East Side of the aforesaid Line to my Son Winchester Card (excepting only my part of the Mill and Mill Priviledge and priviledge of joining the Dam and flowing the Pond &c. which I intend for my Son Iohn) And I do hereby give and dispose of the Same that is my part of the Mill Dam Priviledge & Priviledge of joining the Dam to the Upland and flowing the Pond &c. to my Said Son John.

   Item. I give and bequeath to my aforesaid Two Sons John and Winchester all my Salt Marsh up the River on the South West Branch of the York River and all my Common Rights or Shares in the Common and undivided Lands in York aforesaid to be Equally divided between them.

   Item My Will is and I giue to my afores^d Sons Iohn and Winchester the better to enable them to pay my Debts and Legacys the remaining two Thirds of my Stock of Cattle of all Sorts equally to be divided between them.

   Item. I give and bequeath to my Daughter Elizabeth Banks the Wife of Iob Banks Fifty pounds old Tenor besides what She hath already had in full of her Portion.

   Item I give to my Four Grand Children the Children of my Son William Card Dece^d namely Mary Card five pounds old Tenor Ioseph Card Twenty pounds old Tenor Elizabeth Card Five pounds old Tenor and Hephzibah Card Five pounds old Tenor which with the Cost and Charge I have been at in bringing them up Shall be in full of their Portion.

   Item. My Will is that my Son Iohn Shall pay Two thirds of the Legacy's aforesaid and my Son Winchester one Third of the Said Legacies. And the Charges of my Funeral and just Debts Shall be paid by them in equal Proportion.

   Finally, I appoint my Son Iohn to be Sole Executor of this my last Will and Testament. And I do hereby utterly disannul all and every Testaments Wills Legacies and bequests and Exec^rs by me in any Ways before named willed and bequeathed ratifying and confirming this and no other to be my last Will and Testament. In Witness whereof I have hereunto Set my Hand and Seal this twenty eighth Day of Septem^r in the twentieth year of His Maj^ts Reign Annoque Domini 1746.

Signed Sealed published & pronounced    & declared by the Sd Thomas Card    as his last Will & Testamt In pres-    ence of us, after ye Words (To be)    & (Stead) were interlined and three    Words obliterated in 15th Line of    ye other Side    Iohn Bradbury    Lewis Bane    Danl Moulton		Thomas Card (a Seal)
Probated 5 Jany 1746. Inventory returned 23 March 1746, at £560: 7: 6, by John Bradbury, Lewis Bane and Daniel Moulton, appraisers. Source: Maine Wills, 1640-1760 (Portland, Me., 1887), p. 538, citing Probate Office, 7, 49.